Naomi Osaka seeks second U.S. Open title in three years, with Victoria Azarenka her final hurdle

Naomi Osaka has worn seven different face masks for her on-court interviews at the U.S. Open, each with the name of a different victim of violence on them. For the final, she honored Tamir Rice, a 12-year-old boy who died after he was shot in November 2014 near a recreation center in Cleveland after a police officer responded to a 911 call about a boy with a gun. Rice was carrying a pellet gun.

Osaka has honored Elijah McClain, Breonna Taylor and George Floyd among others throughout the fortnight, with the goal of bringing awareness both to those watching at home in the U.S. and to her large international audience overseas.

“I’m aware that tennis is watched all over the world, and maybe there is someone that doesn’t know Breonna Taylor’s story,” Osaka said. “Maybe they’ll like Google it or something. For me, just spreading awareness. I feel like the more people know the story, then the more interesting or interested they’ll become in it.”

The masks are a continuation of Osaka’s turn to social justice this summer. At the Western & Southern Open, the tournament played directly before the U.S. Open in New York this year, the 22-year-old joined a protest led by NBA players and refused to play her semifinal match. The entire tournament paused for a day instead.